You Can Count on Me
by Ohioisforluvrsfan
Summary: When Charlotte's father dies of drinking she is adopted by one of her best friend's mother and father. Friendships are tested. Betrayal. Lies. And everything in between.
1. I'll Be There

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Pearl Harbor characters, I only own Charlotte Nomeck, Derrick Carlson and others.

_Chapter One_

_**I'll Be Here**_

May 28, 1929

"Where are you girl!" A slurred voiced yelled up the stairs. A young girl probably around 12 or 13 years old darted up the stairs as fast as she possibly could, the voices started to get louder and louder. The man who was chasing her was her own father. He was long dead drunk; he started drinking a year after her mom died. The girl's mother died three years ago of a untreated fever.

The girl ran to the window by her bed and started to jerk it open, it was hard and stiff and refused to open.

"You can't escape me!" He yelled, the girl could hear his footsteps beginning to get louder and louder as he came nearer and nearer to her door. She jerked her head back to door. Hannah ran over to her door and locked it shut. I _Thank god I have a lock! _She though still trying to jerk it open. But she knew the locked door could hold him. _C'mon window open. _She though now trying even harder then ever before to open the window.

The door finally gave way, letting her father into her room. She tugged at the window once more. Until the window finally opened.

She slid out the window and on to her house's roof, she wanted to fly far away leave here be anywhere but here. She ran across the roof to the other side of her house, above their planter.

"You can't hide from me Charlotte!" Her father slurred. She looked down her wheat-padded driveway and saw her two best friends in the whole world-her only friends, Rafe McCawley and Daniel 'Danny' Walker.

She felt an arm grab her ankle making her almost fall off the roof; Charlotte jerked her ankle free and almost rolled off the roof, but luckily grabbed hold of the water pipe that circled the whole house. She screamed holding on as tight as she could, she hated highs and was two stories up from the ground way terrifying to her.

Danny and Rafe rushed to help their best friend.

"Just jump, Charlie!" Rafe said. Charlie was her nickname. Charlotte's father came closer to her and he towered over her.

"You jump and I'll kill you, girl, you can bet on that." Her father threatened as he bent over to grab Charlie by the neck. He breathed in her face, letting the alcoholic smell slip into her.

Charlie felt her hands start to slip as she looked down once again; she squeezed her eyes close as she released the water pipe. Letting her fall into the flowerbed below.

Danny and Rafe helped her up.

"Are you 'right?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied.

"Let's get gonna." They were planning on maybe skipping rocks by the creek or seeing a movie. They decided on the movies. It was Charlotte's 13th Birthday

-Later that Night-

"Night." Charlie said entering her house after the movie was over. She closed the door and proceeded farther into her home. Her whole house was dark and smelt of alcohol. But that was no surprise. She walked quietly up to her room; she closed the door behind her.

"I'd told I'd kill ya if you jumped." Her father's drunken voice echoed around her room, she slowly turned around to find to the horror of her father sitting on her bed. He stood up and started to approach her, she slowly backed up until she had her back against the door.

She was frightened he would often hit her when he was drunk and sometimes when he was mad, but it was always worse when he was dunk. He always blamed her for her mother's death.

"It's your fault Jess is gone your entire fault you filthy little tramp!" Her father yelled. Charlie reached for the door handle and successfully opened the door.

She started to run down the hall, but her father grabbed her arm and started to hit her and beat her until he passed out. Hours later. Here was no escape from this darkness in which she dwelled. No light, no way out. She was trapped in her own reality.

When the night was over she had several scars, her hair was all in a strut from struggling and her lip was slightly bleeding. She crawled her way over to her room around her father's numb body. She had her back against her bed, tears were streaming down her face as she let out a few whimpers.

She had to get out of this placed. That was the one thing that was premently instilled in her mind. She crawled out on her roof the only placed that where she could dream of a better place. Far from here.

She heard some roof tiles wiggle. She jerked her head up fearing to she her father, but luckily it was only her close friend, Danny Walker.

"Hey." She smiled; she made a little room for Danny. He lay down by her.

"Hey." He smiled back. He climbed up one of the ladders that made sure the grape vines wouldn't grow all around the house. "Happy birthday. So how old are you know ten or eleven?"

Charlie punched him softly in the arm. "No. Thirteen. So how about you when do you turn seven?"

"In a few months." He joked making them both laugh. Charlie still hadn't looked at Danny; she didn't want to reveal her busted lip or tears. Thinking about tears only made more fall, but she quickly wiped them away/ Danny noticed instantly.

"Are you 'kay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied whipping away a few tears and pulling her jacket over one of her bruises.

"Lemme see that." Danny demanded softly. She reluctantly let him lift up part of her sweatshirt to look at the bruise.

"That is a really bad bruise." Danny commented putting the sweatshirt down. "Your pa again?" Charlie always felt like she could get closer to Danny than to Rafe because they're more alike. They both have abusive fathers. Danny lived closer to Danny than to Rafe so some nights when Danny's pa is knocked out he visits her or Rafe.

She turned to face him revealing her bleeding lip. "Yep." She replied.

"You're not 'kay. Here let me help you." Danny insisted. "Is your pa downstairs?"

"Naw. He's the same way your pa is." She replied.

"Passed out?"

"Cold." They climbed back through Charlie's window, around her dead drunk father and into the bathroom. Danny started to dab the blood on and around her lip. She winced a little each time the rubbing alcohol made contact with her busted lip.

"Where's Rafe?" She asked once he was all done repairing the lip.

"He got grounded…again." Danny replied. They stopped dead in their ground. A loud groan irrupted from her father that they both though was out cold. Guess not.

"Hurry Danny, go!" She demanded. Danny ran out the door and swerved his away around Charlie's father's path and down the stairs waiting for Charlie.

But Charlie didn't get out that easy. When she tired to escape down the stairs her father grabbed her ankle and she fell to the ground. She was clawing at the ground and crying for help scared that he would only do worst. Danny ran upstairs to help his friend in need.

"No, Danny, I'm fine. Just go he's only gonna hurt you, too." She warned. Danny wouldn't listen he was too busy searching for a weapon to knock out Mr. Nomeck.

Mr. Nomeck finally has got Charlie in his arms and was withdrawing his belt. Danny emerged out of the kitchen and dashed up the stairs with a rolling pin tightly in his grip. He darted behind Mr. Nomeck and whacked him with all his strength in the back of his head. The hit wasn't strong enough to kill him.

Charlie was free from his grasp they both ran out the house and over to their neighbor Mr. Parker's barn. And lay behind a pile of hay in the upper part of the barn.

"Thank you." Charlie muttered.

"For what?" Danny asks looking over at her.

"Savin' me." She replied simply. "Did he hit you, too?"

"Naw. I'll fine." He replied. "What…did he hurt you!?"

"No, you saved me." She stated.

"Why does he beat you like that?" Danny asked. She has never told anyone about her mom.

"When I was ten my ma died of untreated fever and my pa always blamed me." She answers.

"I'm sorry about your mom." Danny commented.

"It's okay. I as three years ago," She said.

"Remember I'll always be here for you."

"Can you promise me somethin?"

"Yeah anything?"

"Promise that one day we'll runaway for Eron (Danny's dad) and my dad."

"Promise."


	2. With tired Minds, Tired Eyes, Tired Soul

_Chapter Two_

_**With tired Minds, tired eyes, tired Souls we Slept**_

_Three weeks Later_

Charlie woke up like every other morning knowing what was coming ahead, abuse, pain and scars.

She quickly got dressed and walked down like every other Monday morning only that morning would be the last morning she would ever walk down those stairs again.

Charlie dropped her schoolbooks and everything else when she saw what lie inches a head of her. The lifeless form of my father speared out across the kitchen floor surrounded by hundreds of empty beer bottles.

She fell on my knees shocked she never though he would actually drink himself to death.

Getting herself together Charlie scrambled up to her feet fighting back tears and walked over to the phone and dialed the paramedics. Her golden brown locks fell over her slender shoulders and her hazel eyes clouded with tears flowing to the surface.

At that moment she wanted to die. Because now she was all alone, at thirteen, no mom and now no dad.

She picked up the phone yet again and called the two people she knew could help her, Danny Walker and Rafe McCawley.

"Yeah, its Charlie can you come over, please, something really bad has happened." She spoke holding back tears into the phone. Danny was staying over at Rafe's. They both came over quickly.

She found a crumbled up piece of paper in her father's hand and only out of curiosity opened it. Charlie read over it slowly:

_Dear Charlotte,_

_This is in the case of my death:_

_I want you to know I'm sorry. You were always so smart it wasn't your fault your mother died I was just looking for someone to blame it on. I never wanted to hurt you; I loved you with all my heart. I'm so sorry. Your mother would be so proud of you._

_With Love,_

_Your father,_

_Jackson M. Nomeck_

Charlie read the last line of the body of the letter '_You mother would be so proud of you_' and instantly felt tears fall down her face as a picture of her mom popped into her mind.

_I forgive you dad, _She whispered to herself. _I've always forgave yo—_ She was jerked out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. Charlie wiped the few remaining tears that had fell as she walked to the door. She knew it was either the paramedics or hopefully, Rafe and Danny.

She walked slowly to the door and opened it to reveal Danny and Rafe.

"Hey." She quivered sadly and her face was tear streaked and her eyes were puffy and red.

"Oh my god! Charlie are you alright?" Danny asked with full concern in his voice. She couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't hold in my tears and she collapsed in front of them; crying her eyes out. Danny and Rafe quickly came to Charlie's side and helped her up.

"What happened?" Rafe asked. Charlie buried my face in the palms of my hands.

"He's dead." She mumbled into my hands, but they still heard. They knew who she was talking about, her father.

Rafe and Danny took her back to Rafe's house. There they helped her get cleaned up and get her to relax.

"I'm so sorry about your father," Mrs. McCawley said. Charlie, Mr. & Mrs. McCawley, Danny, Rafe and the rest of the McCawley children were gathered around their table for a peaceful dinner.

Charlie didn't respond and didn't feel much like talking, in fact she didn't feel much like doing anything at all. All she felt was numb.

"Where are you going to stay?" Mr. McCawley asked. Charlie actually hadn't even though about that, not even in the slightest bit. She had no idea where to stay; She didn't know anyone else besides Danny and Rafe's families and all the rest of her relatives were either dead or she has never met.

"I don't know probably just an orphanage." Charlie replied. "I don't have anywhere else to stay."

"That sucks." Rafe said truthfully. She did have to agree with him. No protectors, No home.

Mrs. McCawley looked at her husband with a pleading face, it was as if he read her mind and nodded in response.

"Charlotte, me and Andrew think if you want to that is, we could adopt you." Mrs. McCawley said. Her face lit up in happiness Mrs. McCawley was like her second mother.

"Yes, that would be great, I'd love that." Charlie replied smiling she didn't, she couldn't, feel numb anymore all she could feel was a ray of sunshine vanishing all the darkness and all the pain. It was like all her bruises just disappeared.

Charlie was going to live with two of the most wonderful people in all of Tennessee!

"Great, we'll sign the papers tomorrow and you can room with Rafe." Mr. McCawley said smiling.

Friday

The Day of Funeral

Charlie sat in the front row perfectly in front of her father's casket, in between Rafe and Danny. She felt no more tears surface her eyes, no more pain of her father's death.

Charlie was wearing a black halter dress that was knee length, her hair was up in two braids that come up and are tied by bobby pins in the back of her head.

Now, the funeral was over, but she still stood by her father's casket and tombstone. She couldn't move. Not feeling the will to go, even though he abused her he was still her dad and her wasn't always like that, he used to be a successful farmer that loved his family.

Charlie hung her head low and stared at her hands wishing she were in her own world.

Danny saw Charlie, as he was about to go back to the McCawley's light blue pick-up he walked back over beside Charlie and put his hand on her shoulder she couldn't help but looked back up at him and smile.

"It's gonna be okay." He said reassuringly, she couldn't help but hug him tightly trying not to cry.

"I'll always be here for you, if you need to talk to anyone just come to me."

"I know." She replied.

"Now you can runaway." He whispered the sound of that only made her smile grow wider.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"For what?" He asked.

"Keeping your promise."

HONK! HONK! A loud honk irrupted from the last car in the parking lot interrupting

**Ever since that day, something between Charlie and Danny changed, whether it was the way he looked at her or the way he felt about her. Whether it was both of those or neither something changed. Even if they hadn't felt it yet.**


	3. Paper Wings and Paper Hearts

_Chapter Three_

_**Paper Wings and Paper Hearts**_

_**A/N: The years are a little bit off according to the movie. Sorry!  
**_

**1929**

Rafe and Charlie sat with their backs against their Pa's barn a couple of weeks after Charlie's dad death and her adoption by Mr. and Mrs. McCawley. Meanwhile Danny was trying to make the best wings he could out of paper, glue and some cardboard he found in the neighbors trash.

"C'mon Walker," Rafe joked ushering his friend on. "Hurry it up!!"

Danny let out a tired sigh, before he finished the wings.

"Fine, I'm done!" He said smiling. Both, Charlie and Rafe shot up and ran over to see Danny's finished wings; they were light and flimsily not a very good for flying.

"Here, Charlie, help me strap these on." Reluctantly Charlie did what Danny told her to do, knowing deep in the pit of her stomach this would only end in disaster.

Danny and Charlie were the same age and Rafe was one year older than both of them. Rafe climbed up on top of the barn roof. He was going to jump off.

"Rafe this isn't a good idea!!" Charlie yelled she inched closer to the barn. She kept inching closer to the barn until she reached the place where Rafe was going to land.

"Move right know Charlie or I'll jump on you!!" Rafe threatened. Charlie was never the one to believe a threat, especially if it was from Rafe. Rafe was soft when it came to his stepsister.

"Rafe James McCawley! Don't you dare jump!!" She said putting her hands on her hips. Even though Rafe was older than Charlie she was smarter than him.

"What are you gonna do if I do jump?" Rafe asked trying to find a new place where he could jump, avoiding his little sister. Charlie annoying rolled her eyes.

"You're gonna get hurt!!" She threatened. She looked over towards Danny, hoping he would be able to talk his best friend out of hurting himself.

"Yeah, this isn't the best idea, Rafe, listen to Charlie!!! You're gonna get hurt!!" Danny came in. _Now that's more like it!! _

"No. I'll be just fine!!" And it's not like Pa or Mom is gonna find out. I'll be fine." Rafe said about to jump. He was right, though, they would never find out unless if Charlie tells him. For there pa and mom were out of town visiting Mrs. McCawley's sick mom. Left to watch them was Sawyer, their older brother, but he was to busy doing chores to really pay attention to them.

"Here I go." He jumped down, but the wings snapped right in half and Rafe came tumbling helplessly down to the hard dirt behind them. By this time Charlie had darted out of the way.

"Oh my god." Charlie said once Rafe hit the ground and rusted over by his side. She looked him up and down to make sure nothing was hurt, but something was hurt…and bleeding. Rafe started to scream a really loud and ear piercing scream.

Charlotte looked down at his hurt and bleeding knee. Danny's eyes were also transfixed on Rafe's wound that he couldn't move.

"Danny go get Sawyer or someone! Sawyer should be in the field." Charlotte commanded, but Danny didn't move an inch. He was frozen to that spot with his eyes still transfixed on Rafe's knee and he felt only sick.

"I don't think I need to." Danny replied. "He's already coming."

Charlotte looked over to see Sawyer already running over to them as fast as he could.

_He must of heard Rafe scream _Charlotte though to herself.

"I told you that was a bad idea!! You blubbering idiot!!!" Charlie said.

"What did you land on?" Charlotte started to look at his blood gushing knee. Deep inside the cut she saw an old rusty thick nail.

"Cripes! Rafe you landed on a nail!"

"Here move aside." Sawyer said as he came up beside Charlie. She moved aside letting Sawyer inspect the knee. Charlie walked over to stand by Danny. His face was ghostly pale and he couldn't take his eyes off of Rafe's knee.

"What's the matter Dan--" Charlotte was cut off by Sawyer.

"His legs broken." Sawyer said.

"How can you tell?" Charlotte asked.

"When I pulled out the nail there was a huge snap in the bone, Go call Dr. Parker." Sawyer commanded as he picked up Rafe, Sawyer was very strong. Charlie looked at Danny, he still didn't move and his face was still ghostly white.

"Danny are you 'right?" Charlie asked.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Danny replied finally moving.

_He must hate blood. _She though.

"C'mon let's go call Dr. Parker." Charlotte said as she turned Danny away from Rafe's wound.

Turns out Rafe did break his leg and would have to keep it wrapped up for about three months, straight. Over that time Danny visited Rafe just a regularly as usual. They would play cards, watch old movies that Rafe's parents had and play other games, but it got boring after the first three days. But Danny never the less still came to the side of his best friend.

Charlotte

Charlie lay on her family's couch in their den reading her current reading book for school. She laid her feet on the arm of the couch as she read. She heard someone coming down the stairs; she didn't look up from her book thinking that it was probably Sawyer. She knew that Rafe was still confined to his bed.

Their stepparents, she noticed had not came home for a few days, but she figured they probably saw some old friends and was now staying with them. It didn't worry her much she knew they were both fine

"What cha' ya' readin'?" A familiar voice asked. Charlie looked up from her book to see Danny at the bottom of the stairs. He started to walk over to her. She moved her legs so he could sit down.

"Nothin, really." She replied. "How's Rafe?"

"Good." He replied. A few moments of silence followed. Charlie turned back to her book.

"_The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_," Danny read the cover of Charlie's book. "Why are you readin that?"

"Have to, assignment for school. I hate this book though, it's so boring'." Charlie moaned, putting down her book.

"You wanna play a different game?" Danny asked. Charlie put down her book.

"Yeah, anything is better than this." Charlie said. Danny put his hands in front of him, palms up.

"Okay, put your hands on mine." He said as she followed his directions.

"Oh I know this game." She smiled.

"Okay let's start." Danny smiled back. They started to play the same game for a long time. They were having so much fun, laughing and talking. They were both having a great time. But that came to an end when Sawyer stumbled his way down the stairs.

"Aren't you supposed to be reading?" Sawyer asked, he always knew everything about her schoolwork.

"Uhh…." She drew a blank.

"Get back to work." Sawyer demanded walking into the kitchen to get dinner ready. Charlie let out an irritated sigh.

"Mind if I read it a little?" Danny asked.

"Nope." Charlie replied handing him the book. He started to read a few pages out loud. They ended up both falling asleep of boredom. Charlie fell asleep on Danny's shoulder, and Danny on Charlie's head. **How sweet!**

"Where are you boy?" They jerked awake to a loud bang on the door followed by more questions.

"Where are you boy?" the voice slurred, it belonged to Danny's abusive father. Hearing no response from the kitchen, Charlotte guessed he was at work out in the field. The front door slammed open

"Follow me, I know where to hide!" Charlie said to Danny. She took his wrist and made their way to the stairway.

"I see you boy, you can't hide from me!" The man slurred on again.

Charlie and Danny ran faster up the stairs and onto a ledge. There was a small attic that was hidden away over by Charlie's door. Their steps were steady and careful not wanting to fall and break their necks on the stairs below.

"I need help pushin the door." Charlie whispered. Danny's father's step dawned closer and closer still. . .

Danny quivered down in fear. "Aren't you gonna help me?"

Danny helped Charlie open the attic's hatch and they made there way in. Charlie was hoping it wouldn't fall through, because of the weight. After all there was two teenagers hiding there.

Once they were up in there they slid the hatch over the opening and held their breath hoping not to be found.

Danny's father's footsteps stumbled closer, until there was a loud crash. We could here Rafe yelling asking what that was from his room. Charlie opened the hatch to peek out to see what happened.

"I think he's passed out…" Charlie states climbing out of the unused attic followed by Danny.

They carefully crawled out of the attic and walked carefully around Eron's passed out body. Danny stepped around it first. When it came to Charlie's turn she was coming around and she had to put one of her feet by Eron's face.

She felt something that made her body froze.

"What is it?" Danny asked. Charlie motioned her eyes down towards Eron's face.

She felt hot breathing. HOT BREATHING. Eron was awake and he was drunk which makes it worst.

"Hurry." Danny demanded. Charlie tired but Eron grabbed her ankle and she fell flat on her belly. Eron dragged her close until she was underneath him. She could smell the strong alcohol that was in his system.

"Its all your fault Margot is gone!! YOUR ENTIRE FAULT!!" Charlie knew that was the alcohol talking, not him. "YOUR FAULT!!"

He tired to hit her, but luckily missed and only hit the carpet.

"Dad, stop it." Danny tried to help, but Eron didn't care, he was too drunk. "Dad please you're hurting her."

Eron wouldn't release Charlie from his grasp.

"Danny, please help!!" Charlie whimpered. Danny tired, but she was too tightly caught in his father's grip. She struggled and struggled but nothing was working.

"It's all your fault now you're gonna pay." He spat in her face. He ripped her up by her hair and dragged her into the nearest room and threw her on the bed.

Danny looked for something, _anything_ that would stop his father. He found a beer bottle.

I'm sorry dad, but she's my friend and I'm not gonna let you hurt her. Danny though to himself he walked into the room where his father and Charlie were. Charlie was on the bed with her knees pulled to her chest. Scared as hell. 

Danny went up behind his father and hit him lightly on the back of the head. He collapsed passed out. For now. Danny had hit him hard enough for him to get knocked out, but not hard enough for him to be dead.

"Thanks again." Charlie crawled out of the bed and they went to check on Rafe.


End file.
